Your article gets to the heart of what has gone awry with raising
children in America ("Using drugs to rein in boys," May 19).
Congratulations on your courage in the face of what will undoubtedly
become a hotly debated issue for the next several years.

This problem - the bio-psychiatric redefinition of childhood - is
wreaking havoc with our youth and creating significant confusion in
the minds of children who need help with their growth and their
social-spiritual unfolding.

Substituting psychotropic medication for self-control, good gopental
counseling and ethical, social, and community values is a serious
mistake and is already diverting significant numbers of individuals
from the kind of personal growth they must go through to successfully
transition from childhood to adulthood.

David W. Hilton
Concord, N.H.

Director, Office of Consumer Affairs New Hampshire Division of
Behavioral Health